What's Really Going On?

As many of you know, I began as a print reporter down south with "The Los Angeles Sentinel", a black weekly in South Central and started my professional career here with "The Bakersfield Californian". So I could not have been happier when "The Suits" here hit me up about writing a blog.

My goal: to write twice maybe three times a week delving deeper into issues talked about on the show or reaching out to subjects that, for whatever reason, we didn't tackle on the broadcast. In the meantime, if you have topic ideas or want to comment on past blogs feel free to contact me at the website or via e mail at ralphbailey@kernradio.com.

Maxwell's Passion No Put-On

by Ralph Baileyposted Feb 19 2014 2:02PM

Initially I wasn’t sure whether to boo Terry Maxwell as if he’d just struck out with the bases loaded against the God awful, stinky smelly, donkey riding, kazoo playing, orange and black wearing San Francisco Giants or should I get up on my feet and drown him with praise with a Kobe-like standing ovation screaming, “White Mamba! White Mamba!”

You see, Mr. Maxwell, Ward 2 city councilman, restaurateur and overall good egg is either a steadfast, determined citizen looking out for his and his neighbors’ best interests or he’s a wrench in a machine that’s already been built. Depends on what side of 24th Street you’re standing, I suppose.

On one side: Alan Tandy and most city officials, who by a 6 to Terry Maxwell (6-1) vote ratified the 24th Street Widening Environmental Impact Report, which all but seals the deal and slams the doors on a number of downtown residents who’ll be forced to see their homes razed in the name of city progress.

On the other, however, are a number of downtown citizens, like myself, who think a cynical curmudgeon asking nagging questions about a controversial project may just be what the doctor ordered. For far too long, city projects have been rubber stamped by part-time city officials who seem more interested in getting along than getting to the core of the problem in order to form a solution.

The fact the city mounted a $17,000 tab doing what Mr. Maxwell requested does not make him the baby daddy of that expensive blunder. But in about three years some smart City Council- wanna be sure will place that at Maxwell’s door.

I’m not sure which way the wind is blowing in Westchester on the widening, the cull-du sacs or Maxwell’s eleventh hour attempts but I do know it’s wrong to vilify the man for his efforts to stop a project he doesn’t believe in and one which will impact neighbors and Jacquie Sullivan was wrong to read Terry the riot act in a recent meeting and I suspect that even those that don’t intellectually agree with Maxwell will respect his unwillingness to accept whatever staff passes down as the gospel. Dare I say we need more Terry Maxwell’s in the chamber.

Mr. Maxwell, as an elected official, it is his duty to ask those tough and uncomfortable questions from the dais. He is doing his job and I applaud him for it. No matter how long it takes, ask questions, ask questions, ask questions